Large-capacity regulator



March 19, 1940. i G. M. DEMlNG LARGE-CAPACITY REGULATOR Filed June 29, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet J.

INVENTPR a ATTORN EY March 19,- 1940. DEMlNG 2,194,420

LARGE-CAPACITY REGULATOR Filed June 29, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 |NVENTO-R 3W 3 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LARGE-CAPACITY REGULATOR Application June 29, 1936, Serial No. 87,855

9 Claims.

This invention relates to regulators, and particularly to a construction for regulators of large capacity,

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved regulator which has a very high quality of regulation, and which is of a construction suitable for regulators of larger capacity than those of the prior art; A regulator embodying this invention has been made with a capacity of 50,000

cu. ft. per hour without impairing the regulation quality or requiring unduly large or expensive apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved regulator of the pilot-controlled type in which the movement of the diaphragm is effected entirely by gas pressure so that the usual errors resulting from spring stiffness are entirely eliminated.

In the design of any pressure regulator the size of the diaphragm relative to that of the nozzle is one of the most important fundamental considerations. In general, the larger the ratio, the more perfect the pressure regulation. However, large diaphragms necessarily entail much larger regulator bodies, with proportionately thicker walls and stronger mechanical means of assembly, so that the regulators are of excessive size and cost. I

The effect of a larger diaphragm can be obtained by using a lever to transmit the diaphragm movements to the valve seat with the long end' of the lever cooperating with the diaphragm so that relatively small changes in the reactions against the diaphragm will compensate much larger variations in the high-pressure gas reaction against the valve seat. With such a construction relatively small variations in delivery pressure result from very considerable variations in the pressure oi the gas entering the regulator and thrusting against the valve seat.

In the usual spring and diaphragm type of regulator it has not been feasible to use levers having the diaphragm-connected arm much longer than the arm operating the valve seat. Although a large lever ratio results in smaller changes of the force at the long end of the lever corresponding. to largechanges at the short end, it also results in large movements of the long end of the lever corresponding to small movements of the short end of the lever. If relatively small variations in seat displacement cause large movements of the diaphragm, the pressure regulation is impaired because the large movements of the diaphragm necessarily involve very considerable changes in spring reaction, even when the adjusting spring which reacts against the diaphragm is designed as soft as possible.

With the pilot-controlled regulator of the invention it is unnecessary to make allowance for any spring stiffness since the diaphragmis moved entirely by gas pressure. Consequently, it is possible to make use of a much larger lever ratio than otherwise.

With large diaphragm movement, however, there is the important consideration of diaphragm stifiness. By combining a bellied diaphragm with a lever type regulator having no compensating spring, a. very high quality of reg ulation is obtained without making the regulator of excessive size. It may be said that another object of the invention is to construct a regulator having a relation of elements which obtain high quality of regulation with gas flows which are large in proportion to the size. of the regulator.

Other features of the invention include the protection of the diaphragm and valve seat from excessive pressures, a novel damping device which automatically becomes ineffective at low pressures, and measuring apparatus by which a simple flow gauge effectively indicates the delivery rate up to the full capacity of the regulator.

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a regulator embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of 'the regulator shown, in Fig. l, with most of the parts shown in section and the positions of certain parts shifted f or clearer illustration; and

Fig. 3 is a reduced fragmentary view of the gauge board and flow selector indicating mechamsm.

The main regulator includes a main body portion l0 supported from the floor by a stand I i and fastened to the wall by braces H. A gauge board it is connected to the body portion In and supports a high-pressure gauge 85 which indicates the inlet pressure, a low-pressure gauge it which indicates the delivery pressure of the regulator, a flow gauge ill, and a pilot regulator I 8 having an adjusting screw I9 which extends through to the front of the gauge board. A hand wheel 28 is also located in front of the gauge board and has a shaft running through the board and into the body portion of the regulator to adjust the position of a plug controlling the flow gauge by-pass.

There is a window 23 in the gauge board. A

flag or plate behind the gauge board is moved past the window 23 when the hand wheel 2| is turned, and letters on the plate move into position where they can be viewed through the window. The flow gauge I! has four scales, designated by the letters A, B, C and D, respectively. These letters correspond with'the letters which come into view at the window 23 and an observer uses the fiow gauge scale corresponding to the letter which shows at the window at the time when the reading of the gauge is taken.

An inlet conduit comprising a filter housing 25 is bolted to the body portion of the main regulator. High-pressure gas is supplied to the regulator through a pipe 26, which connects with the lower end of the filter housing 25. A valve 21 in the pipe 26 can be used to shut off the supply of gas. A vessel 29 of large capacity communicates with the filter housing 25 through a tube 30. This vessel is a dead-end chamber for receiving the heated gas which results from the compression wave when gas is suddenly admitted into the regulator. The vessel 29 is preferably a gas storage cylinder.

The high-pressure gauge 5 and pilot regulator I6 communicate with the filter housing 25 through tubing 32. The pilot regulator is preferably of the inverse type and the main regulator of the direct type. I

Referring to Fig. 2, a glass-wool filter 34 supported on a screen frame filters the gas on its way to a nozzle 36. A valve or valve seat 31 is attached to the lower end of a rod 38 which slides in a bearing on the inside Wall of the main body portion I0. Gas discharges from the nozzle 36 into the reduced-pressure chamber 4|], where it exerts pressure against one side of a diaphragm 4|. The diaphragm has its edge clamped between connected parts of the main body portion, and is of the bellied type so that it has a large range of movement.

The forceof the gas against the diaphragm 4| is transmitted to the valve-seat 31 through a lever 43 fulcrumed on a shaft 44 near the-upper end of the rod 38. A hard insert 45 in the lever contacts with a spherical bearing 46 at the top of the rod 38. The long end of the lever 43 hooks over a stirrup 41 attached to the diaphragm 4|. In the regulator shown in the drawings, the long arm of the lever 43 1s five times the length of the short arm. I

The connection between the stirrup 41 and diaphragm 4| is constructed so that it can yield in case an excessive pressure under the diaphragm develops a closing force likely to damage the valve seat '31 by pressing it against the nozzle with too much force. A flanged bushing 49 extends through an opening in the center of the diaphragm and threads into a back-casting 50,

the inner edge of the diaphragm being clamped between the flange and the casting. A screw 5| which extends upward from the stirrup 41 compresses a spring 52 against a shoulder in the bushing'so that the spring is permanently loaded.

-casting 56 is limited by an abutment at the upper end of the casting which comes into contact with the top wall of the control chamber.

The eflecti ve pressure against the diaphragm l'l is not theabsolute gas pressure in'the chamber 40, but the amount by which the gas pressure in that chamber exceeds the gas pressure in a control chamber 54 on the upper side of the diaphragm 4|. Gasis supplied from the pilot regulator |8-to the control chamber 54 through a fit- 56 which communicates with the control chamber 54 through the fitting and a tube 51. When the diaphragm rises it compresses the gas in both the chamber 54 and cylinder 56. The combined volume of the control chamber and cylinder is so large in comparison with the diaphragm displacement that the gas pressure rise in the chamber 54 is negligible.

In order that the delivery pressure of the regulator can be decreased when desired, it is necessary to provide for the escape of gas from the control chamber 54. This escape is also necessary to prevent slight leakage of the pilot regulator valve from building up the pressure in the control chamber 54 above the set delivery pressure of the pilot regulator. A bleed conduit including a por-- ous ceramic diffuser plug 59 clamped in the fitting 55 by means of a bushing 60 permits gas to escape from the control chamber 54 into the atmosphere.

The amount of gas lost through the diffuser plug 59 is very small. The regulator shown in the drawings has a delivery rate of 50,000 cu. ft.

per hour, and a flow of gas of A cu. ft. per'hour through the diffuser plug 59 has been found 'sufiicient to take care of any reasonable valve leaks in the pilot regulator and to avoid any serious effects of hour-to-hour change in the temperature of the gas in the control chamber 54. When the main regulator is to be adjusted for a substantially lower delivery pressure, the gas pressure in the control chamber 54 can be reduced quickly by opening a needle valve 6| which controls an exhaust port from the fitting 55.

Hunting of the main regulator is prevented by a brake comprising a dash-pot 63. There is a diaphragm 64 across the top of the dash-pot, and theperipheral edge of the diaphragm is clamped between the upper end of the dash pot and the main body portion of the regulator. A cap 65 has a threaded end portion which extends through the center of the diaphragm 64 and is screwed into a sleeve 66. A flange on the cap 65 clamps the diaphragm 64 against the upper end of the sleeve 66.

The lower end of the sleeve 66 threads into a piston or plunger 61. The dash-pot is filledwith glycerin to a level considerably above the plunger 61, and there is a spring 69 compressed between the plunger'and the bottom of the dash-pot. This spring is of such, strength that it holds the plunger 6'! in a raised position when the pressure in the chamber 40 of the main regulator is atmospheric or only a few pounds above atmospheric. As the pressure in the chamber 40 rises, however, it creates a downward thrust upon the diaphragm 64 which overcomes the upward thrust of the spring 69.

A link 1| is attached to the lever 43. A hook 12 extends through the link IL-and is attached atw 'the plunger 61 of the dash-pot.

its lower end to the cap 65. The link II is similar to a chain link and with the hook I2 provides a lost motion connection between the lever 43 and ordinary operation of the regulator the hook I2 is held down, as far as the link 'II will permit, by gas pressure against the diaphragm 64 and the lost motion in the connection is not effective.

When the gas pressure in the chamber 48 is low and the plunger 61 held in a raised position by the spring 69, the hook I2 is above the lower end of the link II and the lever 43 can move without restraint from the dash-pot. In this way the regulator is made immediately responsive to the pressure rise caused when gas is initially admitted into the chamber 48 through the nozzle The chamber 48 communicates with the control chamber 54 through piping I4, but there is a spring-loaded relief valve I5 in the piping I4 and this valve does not let gas flow to the control chamber 54 'unless the pressure in that chamber is much lower than the delivery pressure of the main regulator. By designing the valve I5 to open for a 25 lb. pressure, the diaphragm 4| can be protected from pressure differentials greater than 25 lbs. The valve I5 prevents any flow from the control chamber 54 toward the reduced-pressure chamber 48. The low-pressure gauge I6 is connected with the piping 14.

If gas is drawn from the main regulator after the bank of cylinders supplying the gas has been drained below the regulation end-point without another bank being cut in, the pressure below the diaphragm 4| may drop much faster than the pressure in the control chamber 54, with the result that there is an excessive downward pressure against the diaphragm. A casting 11 within the main body portion below the diaphragm 4| provides a support which limits the downward movement of the diaphragm and keeps it from being damaged in case the pressure in the con- .rise, a bursting disc 8I will rupture and permit the escape of gas from the chamber 48.

The port. in the wall of the main body portion which is covered by the bursting disc 8| has a cross-sectional area at least ten times as great as that of the opening through the nozzle 36. An

opening of such size provides for the escape of any gas that can enter through the nozzle 36 and without excessive pressure rise in the chamber 48.

- The bursting disc 8| is held in place by clampin its peripheral edge between the main body portion I8 and a cage or guard 83. This guard protects the disc 8| from mechanical injury. The guard extends away from the main body portion far enough to obtain a large number of exhaust ports 84 so that broken remnants of a rup tured bursting disc can not impede the free discharge of gas through the guard 83.

The main regulator has a delivery conduit 86 which communicates with a chamber 8'! in the main l: ldy portion I8. This chamber 81 is divided from the reduced-pressure chamber 48 by a partition 88. Gas flows from the chamber 48 to the chamber 81 by different routes, one of which is a port 98 through the partition 88. Another During the.

opening 9| through the partition 88 can be substantially closed by a flow-selector plug 92, but

some gas flows from the chamber 48 to the chamber 81 through the clearance between the plug 92 and the opening 9|.

A third passage for gas from chamber 48 to chamber 81 is the flow gauge by-pass. Gas flows to the inlet side of the flow gauge I'I through a conduit 94, which leads from the reduced-pressure chamber 48. The discharge side of the flow gauge communicates with the chamber 87 through a tube 95. g

The amount of gas flowing to the delivery conduit 86 through the flow gauge by-pass can be controlled by moving the plug 92 out of the opening 9| for various distances. As this plug is moved toward the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 2 it permits the gas to flow through the opening 9| with less and-less restriction. An increase in the amount of gas flowing through the opening 9| causes a decrease in the rate of flow through the conduit 94 and flow gauge H. For every position of the flow-selector plug 92, a definite percentage of the total gas flow passes through the flow gauge.

The four scales A, B, C and D of the flow gauge H are graduated for four positions of the plug '92, so chosen that the ranges of the flow gauge scales overlap and the gauge is capable of indicat-- ing any rate of flow within the delivery range of the regulator.

The flow gauge I'I comprises a transparent tube 96 having a tapered bore, and an indicator ball 91 which is held at different elevations in the tube 96 by the gas flowing through the tube.

The flow-selector plug 92 is pinned to a shaft 99 which is threaded through a bonnet I88 on the main body portion of the regulator. The hand wheel 2| is attached to the outer end of the shaft 99. As the hand wheel 2| is turned to move theshaft 99 and plug 92 in or out, the position of the plug 92 is indicated by a flag I82 on the long end of a lever I83 which bears against a tapered collar I84 on the shaft 99. The lever I83 is supported by a pin I86 extending from the rear of the gauge board I4. This pin is the fulcrum of the lever I83, and the short end of .the lever is held against the tapered collar I84 by a spring I86 anchored at one end to. the gauge board I4, as shown in Fig, 3.

As the shaft 99 moves axially, the sloping surface of the collar I84 serves as a cam and imparts a progressive movement to the lever I83. Letters A, B, C and D on the flag I82 move into a center position behind the window 23 when the flow-selector plug 92 is inposition to make each of the respective scales A, B, C and D of the flow gauge effective to indicate the rate of gas delivery from the main regulator.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been described but changes and modifications can be made and some features of the invention may be used without others.

I claim:

l. The combination of a pilot regulator which receives gas at high pressure and delivers it at reduced pressure, a main regulator including a valve, a diaphragm in the main regulator moved entirely by gas pressure, said diaphragm form ing a partition between the reduced-pressure chamber of the main regulator and a controlpressure chamber which communicates with the delivery side of the pilot regulator, and motion transmitting connections between the diaphragm and the valve including a lever and a fulcrum near the valve end of said lever so that large movements of the diaphragm cause relatively small movements of the valve.

2. A regulator comprising ,a reduced-pressure chamber, a valve for controlling the gas inlet to said chamber, a bellied diaphragm moved entirely by gas pressure and forming a partition across an opening in a wall of said chamber so that one side of said diaphragm is subject to the gas pressure in the chamber, a leverby which motion of the diaphragm is transmitted to the valve, a fulcrum near the valve end of the lever so that the diaphragm has a substantial mechanical advantage in operating the valve, a control chamber on the other side of the diaphragm, and a pilot regulator having a discharge orifice and a passage through which said discharge orifice communicates with the control chamber for supplying gas at a fixed pressure to said control chamber.

3. The combination with a main regulator having a valve operating diaphragm with one side subject'to the reduced pressure in the main regulator and the other side subject to the gas pressure in a control-pressure chamber, and a pilot regulator which receives gas at high pres sure and delivers it-at reduced pressure to the control-pressure chamber, of a by-pass connecting the reduced-pressure chamber and controlpressure chamber, and means for preventing pressure in the reduced-pressure chamber of the main regulator from exceeding that in the control-pressure chamber by more than a predetermined value, said means including a relief valve in the by-pass loaded to prevent the passage of gas toward the control-pressure chamber, the valve loading being of such a nature that it yields to a gas pressure in excess of said predetermined value.

4. In a pressure regulator of the class wherein a diaphragm is exposed on one side to the gas pressure in a reduced-pressure chamber, and a valve is operated by motion-transmitting means operatively connected with the diaphragm to control the supply of gas'to the reduced-pressure chamber, the combination with said motiontransmitting means of'a device connected with said means to prevent hunting ofthe valve-operating mechanism, said device comprising a dash-pot having a cylinder, a-piston, and a piston rod, a diaphragm separating the interior of the dash-pot cylinder from the reduced-pressure chamber, and means connecting this separating diaphragm and the piston rod where the piston rod passes through the diaphragm. 5. In a pressure regulator wherein a valve controls the supply of gas. into a reduced-pressure chamber, and valve-operating means are actuated by gas pressure in the chamber, the combination with the valve-operating means of stabilizing apparatus including a brake located close to the reduced-pressure chamber, a diaphragm located between the brake and the'reduced-pressure chamber and exposed on one side to the gas pressure in said chamber, a connection extending from the brake through said diaphragm to the valve-operating means, and means joining the of a brake connected with said valve-operatingv means to prevent hunting of said means, and apparatus responsive to the gas pressure in the reduced-pressure chamber for rendering the brake ineffective when the pressure in the chamber is below a given value. y

7. A pressure regulator wherein a valve controls the supply of gas into a reduced-pressure chamber, and the valveis operated by means including a diaphragm exposed on one side to the gas pressure in said chamber, characterized by the fact that there is combined with the valveoperating means a damping device for preventing hunting of the valve-operating means, means for resisting the displacement of the damping device in one direction, and means connecting the damping device with the valve-operating means including a lost motion connection which permits the valve-operating means to move further toward its low-pressure position after movement of the clamping device is stopped by said means for resisting the damping device displacement so that said damping device is ineffective when the pressure in said reduced pressure chamber is below a given value.

8. Apparatus for continuously indicating the I flow of gas from the reduced-pressure chamber of a pressure regulator, said apparatus including a by-pass through which gas can flow from the chamber to the delivery line without passing through the discharge passage that connects the regulator directly to the delivery line, a flow gauge including a plurality of scales and an indicator .which is moved along said scales by the flow of gas through the by-pass, and adjustable means that change the percentage of the total gas flow which passes through the by-pass and make the different scales efiective.

9. A pressure regulator comprising a valve for controllin'g'the admission of gas from a highpressure source into a reduced-pressure chamber of the regulator, a diaphragm connected with the valve for operating the valve, a nozzle throughwhich gas flows into the reduced-pressure chamber and toward and from which the valve is movable, a port in one wall of the reduped-pressure chamber, said port being of large enough cross-section to permit the escape of gas of the disc so that fragments of a ruptured disc can not prevent the free escape of gas through said cage.

GEORGE M. DEMING. 

